Why does my dog eat her own feces?

Question: Why does my dog eat her own feces?

Answer: Full Question: I have a few problems I guess. We have two dogs, one is a lab-pitt mix and the other is a dapple daschund. Both constantly chew on our newly planted grass and I'm not sure how to make them stop or why they are doing it. The daschund has a little bigger problem in addition to that. She feels the need to eat both hers and the other dog's feces. Whether it be fresh or there for a few hours or days, she eats it. We feed her the recommended amount for her weight, but she's always had this problem. I'm not sure what to do about it or how to stop her. Can you please help me because it's rather frustrating. Why does she eat feces, and how can I get her to stop?

Samantha

Kim's Answer:

Dear Samantha,

Sometimes we don't know why a particular dog starts eating poop, but certain conditions can trigger the behavior.

Triggers and Solutions are listed at www.veterinarypartner.com.

A synposis would be:

Triggers

1. A dog with a physical problem that causes excessive hunger, pain, or other sensations.
2. A dog who is not getting enough to eat or is going too long between meals.
3. A dog with intestinal parasites or other condition that creates blood or other fecal changes .
4. Some dogs develop a mental connection that they will be punished if their humans find them in the same room with feces.
5. Boredom.
6. Separation anxiety.

The number-one thing you can do to help overcome feces eating is to keep your dog's area clean of feces. This means housetraining, and supervising the dog whenever the dog is in the designated relief area.

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Disclaimer: Kim Meyer shares insights derived from animal communication. Any advice she offers is not meant as a substitute for veterinary care or basic dog obedience training.